The Boljarino Hoard (IGCH 975 - near Plovdiv) more

DE ET DE SIGILLOGRAPHIE BELGISCH TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR NUMISMATIEK EN ZEGELKUNDE SOUS LE HAUT PATRONAGE DE S. M. LE ROI PAR LA SOCIETE ROYALE DE NUMISMATIQUE DE BELGIQUE AVEC l'AIDE de la direction GeNERALE de l'enseignement, de la formation et de la Recherche du Minjstehe de la communaute fbancaise et du MlNISTERIE VAN DE VlAAMSE GeMEENSCHAP uitgegeven ONDER DE HOGE BESCHERMING VAN Z. M. DE KONING DOOR het KONINKLIJK BELGISCH GENOOTSCHAP VOOR NUMISMATIEK MET de FTNANCIELE STEUN VAN het MlNISTERIE VAN de VlAAMSE GeMEENSCHAP en van de Direction Generale de l'Enseignement, de la Formation et de la Recherche du Ministere DE LA COMMUNAUTE FraNCAISE DIRECTEURS: Tony HACKENS, Luc SMOLDEREN, Raf VAN LAERE, Francois de CALLATA? CXLI -1995 BRUXELLES BRUSSEL Francois de CALLATAY and Ilia PROKOPOV THE BOLJARINO HOARD (IGCH 975 - NEAR PLOVDIV) (Pi. i-ni) The Boljarino hoard was found on the 28th of May 1963 in a place called « Stariya dium »(«the old way »), located 1,2 km North of the village of Boljarino in the district of Plovdiv. It is now the property of the Archaeological Museum of Plovdiv where it is kept under the inventory numbers 2273-2295 and 2313-2319. It had been buried in a ceramic vessel, part of which is preserved with the coins ('). Among the 30 silver coins of its content, we may distinguish 3 Athenian tetradrachms of the so-called « New Style », 1 late posthumous Alexander of Mesembria, 1 late Hellenistic tetra- drachm of Maroneia, 3 tetradrachms of Thasian type, 15 barbarized imitations of Thasian tetradrachms and 7 Roman denarii (2). 1. Catalogue Athens Obv.: Head of Athena Parthenos r., wearing triple-crested Athe- nian helmet, ornamented with Pegasos and foreparts of horses. Rev.: Owl standing r., head facing, on prostrate amphora. In the field: names of magistrates. On the amphora and in the exergue: letters. All within olive-wreath. (1) K. Kolev, Coin Hoards from the Last Year, in Archeologia, 6, 1968, p. 160. The Boljarino hoard is published together with other hoards by I. Prokopov, The Coin Circulation in Thracia during II-l c. B.C (Starini, 1), Sofia, 1995 (forth- coming). We are most grateful to Dr K. Kisyov, director of the Plovdiv Archaeological Museum, who kindly allowed us to study and to publish this hoard. (2) The content given by T. Gerassimov (BIAB, 27, 1964, p. 241) and repeat- ed by the IGCH (M. Thompson, 0. M©rkholm and C. M. Kraay, An Inventory of Greek Coin Hoards, New York, 1973, p. 125, n" 975) was 13 tetradrachms: 1 Mesembria, 1 Maroneia, 1 Thasos, 1 Thasian imitation, 2 Athens, 7 denarii. Thus, 2 tetradrachms of Thasos, 14 Thasian imitations and 1 tetradrachm of Athens were missing. 6 f. de callatay - i. prok.opov EnirENH-SQSANAPOS (c. 126/5 BC) (3) 1. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2286 (16.23 g - 28/290) Field 1.: EY - MH. Amphora: T. Exergue: Al M. Thompson, p. 176, pi. 45, n° 447a (4) 2. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2287 (16.37 g - 28/290) Field 1.: EY - MH. Amphora: r. Exergue: Al M. Thompson, p. 176, pi. 45, n°447? (same obverse die as n° 1 [447], reverse unknown) 3. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2319 (15.91 g - 280) Field 1.: AEINOK. Amphora: A. Exergue: n£J M. Thompson, p. 176, pi. 45, reverse die of n° 448a (obverse unknown). Mesembria Obv.: Head of young Heracles r., clad in lion's skin. Rev.: BASIAEQ2 - AAEHANAPOY. Zeus seated I. on backless throne, his r. leg drawn back, holding an eagle in the r. and his sceptre in the 1. Field 1.: MA. Beneath throne: Ko. 4. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2288 (16.41 g - 32/330) F. de Callatay, Les derniers alexandres posihumes frappes a Odessos et Mesembria, in Studies on Settlement Life in Ancient Thrace. Proceedings of the Illrd International Symposium « Cabyle », 17-21 May 1993, Jambol, Jambol, 1994, p. 323, 02- R2b (this specimen) I. Karayotov, The Coinage of Mesambria. Vol. I: Silver and Gold Coins of Mesambria, Sozopol, 1994, p. 95 and pi. XXIV, n°348, O49-R160 (this specimen). Maroneia Obv.: Head of young Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy and with band across forehead. Rev.: AIONYIOY - SQTHPOS - MAPQN1TQN. Dionysos, naked, standing 1., holding grapes in his r. and two narthex wands in his 1. Monograms in 1. and r. inner fields. 5. Plovdiv, Inv. n" 2285 (16.25 g - 28/290) E. Schonert-Geiss, Die Munzpragung Don Maroneia, Berlin, 1987, p. 192 and pi. 51, n° 1138/3 = 048-R147 (this specimen). (3) The dating of c. 158/7 proposed by M. Thompson for this issue (The New Style Silver Coinage of Athens, New York, 1961) must be lowered by c. 32 years (see O. Morkholm, The Chronology of the New Style Coinage of Athens, in ANSMN, 29, 1984, p. 29-42). (4) Different lines and motives can be seen in the left field behind the helmet. They are not remains of an overstrike. They belong to the die since all the coins struck with this die present the same pattern. the boljarino hoard 7 Thasos (Early imitations) Obv.: Head of young Dionysos r., wreathed with ivy and with band across forehead. Rev.: HPAKAEOY5 - 2QTHPOS - ©ASIAN. Heracles, naked, standing 1., holding a club in the r., lion's skin over I. arm. Monogram M in field to 1. 6. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2318 (16.49 g - 28/300) I. Prokopov, Class GG1 (see I. Prokopov and T. Kovacheva, Tetradrachms of Thasian Type in the Fund of the Pleven Histo- rical Museum, in Bulletin of the Kjustendil Historical Museum, 1, 1989, p. 307-322 (in Bulgarian - English summary) or I. Prokopov, Notes about the Character of Some Large-Scale Coin- ages in the Thrace during Ilnd-Ist Centuries B.C., in Procee- dings of the Xlth International Numismatic Congress, I, Lou- vain-la-Neuve, 1993, p. 173-85). 7. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2274 (16.18 g - 300) I. Prokopov, Class HH7 (see Popina Hoard, n° 324). 8. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2273 (15.92 g - 30/310) I. Prokopov, Class CA. Thasos (Late imitations) Ditto but in a more and more barbarized fashion. For the many peculiarities of each specimen, we refer to the plates. 9. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2276 (16.35 g - 29/310) R. Gobl, Class I, cfr pi. 46 (Ostkeliischer Tgpenatlas, Braun- schweig, 1973) 10. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2275 (16.10 g - 310) R. Gobl, Class III, cfr pi. 46, n° 5 11. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2315 (16.86 g - 33/370) R. Gobl, Class III, pi. 46-47 (see also I. Mirnik, A Thracian Silver Coin Hoard in the Osijek Slavonian Museum, in NC, 153, 1993, n°29) 12. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2316 (16.18 g - 320) R.. Gobl, Class III/A, cf pi. 47, n" 3 13. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2278 (16.38 g - 35/370) R. Gobl, Class III/A, cfr pi. 47, n°4 14. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2279 (16.42 g - 330) R. Gobl, Class III/A, cfr pi. 47, n°4 15. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2281 (16.20 g - 29/300) R. Gobl, Class IV, cfr pi. 47, n° 2 - Overstruck over Athens 16. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2282 (16.15 g - 290) R. Gobl, Class IV, cfr pi. 48, n" 7 17. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2277 (16.12 g - 33/350) R. Gobl, Class V, cfr pi. 48, n° 1 (see also I. Mirnik, n° 30) 18. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2313 (16.20 g - 340) R. Gobl, Class V, cfr pi. 48, n° 6 8 f. de callatay - i. prokopov 19. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2284 (16.27 g - 34/350) R. Gobl, Class V, cfr pi. 49, n° 13 20. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2280 (16.16 g - 28/300) R. Gobl, Class V, cfr pi. 49, n" 15 21. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2283 (16.55 g - 320) R. Gobl, Class V, pi. 49, n° 20 (same obverse die) 22. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2317 (16.35 g - 320) - Head to 1. R. Gobl, Class V/B, cfr pi. 50 (see also SNG Ashmolean, n° 3713) 23. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2314 (16.04 g - 320) - Amphora R. Gobl, Class VI, cfr pi. 51, n° 2 (see also SNG Ashmolean, nD 3714). Roman Denarii For classifications and datings, we refer to M. Crawford, Roman Republican Coinage, Cambridge, 1974 (= RRC) 24. Plovdiv, Inv. n" 2289 (3.99 g - 17/180) Obv.: Head of Roma r./ Rev.: Victory in biga r., holding reins in both hands. In exergue: D.SILANVS L.F - ROMA RRC 337/3 - c. 91 BC 25. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2294 (3.23 g - 160) Obv.: Head of Saturn 1. To r.: harpa. Below: [EX.S.C.]/ Rev.: Venus in biga r., holding sceptre and reins in 1. hand and reins in r. hand. Above: flying Cupid with wreath. In exer- gue: L.C.MEMMIES.L.[F] - GAL RRC 349 - c. 87 BC 26. Plovdiv, Inv. n" 2290 (3.87 g - 16/170) Obv.: Helmeted bust draped r./ Rev.: Cybele in biga of lions r., holding reins in 1. hand and patera in r. hand. In exergue: M.VOLTEI.M.F. Above: OH RRC 385/4 - c. 78 BC 27. Plovdiv, Inv. nu 2291 (3.84 g - 17/190) Obv.: Bust of Cupid r., with bow and quiver over shoulder. To 1.: [MAXS]VMVS/ Rev.: Distyle temple. Within: two figures. Above: thunderbolt and pileus. In exergue: C.EGNATIVS.[CN.F] - CN.N RRC 391/2 - c. 75 BC 28. Plovdiv, Inv. n°2293 (3.97 g - 17/190) Obv.: Head of Ancus Martius r. To 1.: lituus and ANCVS / Rev.: Aqueduct, on which stands equestrian statue. At horse's feet: flower. Whithin arches of aqueduct: AQVAMR. To 1.: PHILIPPVS RRC 425 - c. 56 BC 29. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2292 (3.89 g - 19/200) Obv.: Head of Genius Populi Romani r., with sceptre over shoulder/ Rev.: Eagle on thunderbolt r. To 1.: lituus. To r.: jug. In exergue: Q.CASSIVS. the boljarino hoard 9 RRC 428/3 - c. 55 BC 30. Plovdiv, Inv. n° 2295 (3.87 g - 180) Obv.: Head of A. Postumius r. To 1.: A.POSTVMIVS.COS/ Rev.: Wreath of grain stalks. In center: ALB INV - BRVTI.F RRC 450/3b - c. 48 BC. 2. Comments The Boljarino hoard is one of the very interesting mixed hoards which was recovered in Southern Bulgaria. Especially important is the combined presence of Roman Republican denarii, which can be dated with rather good accuracy, with late imitations of Thasian tetradrachms. Hoards similar to this one exist in Bulgaria but are not too many : Belitsa (IGCH 976), Topolovo (5), K. Marinovo (6) or D. Botevo (7). They were buried in the second third of the 1st c. BC. for which our information is not as abundant as for the first third of the same century (c. 100-60 BC). In this area, namely South-Western Bulgaria, Thracian hoards buried between c. 100-60 BC mainly contain huge numbers of early Thasian imitations along with Athenian tetradrachms, not to speak of smaller numbers of tetradrachms in the name of Aesillas, original issues struck in Maroneia or Thasos, or late posthumous Lysimachi from Byzantium (the late Alexanders from Odessus and Mesembria are more typical of the Eastern part of Bulgaria). The Boljarino hoard belongs to a later hoarding-phase (c. 60- 30 BC). Typical of this phase are the Roman denarii and the late « barbaric » Thasian imitations. Our information is rather scanty for this period. It is unfortunate that the Belitsa hoard (IGCH 976) has not yet received the comprehensive publication it deserves with its 112 coins now in Sofia (36 Roman denarii, 28 Thasian tetradrachms, 27 Athenian tetradrachms, 12 coins from Dyrrachium, 7 Aesillas (5) E. Zlatareva, Roman Republican Coins from a Hoard near Topolovo, Dis- trict of Plovanvski, in Archeologia, 5, 1963, p. 161-179. (6) Id., A Hoard of Roman Republican Coins at Kolyo Marinovo, in Archeolo- gia, 3, 1961, p. 367-375. See also I. Prokopov, On the Kolyo Mariovo Coin Hoard again, Sofia, 1995 (forthcoming). (7) Discovered in the Haskovo region, it consists of 12 silver coins: 10 imita- tions of Thasian tetradrachms, 1 core of a tetradrachm and 1 Roman denarius (brockage). 10 f. de call at ay - i. prokopov and 2 cistophori). Other hoards discovered in Bulgaria appear to be of little use. Yet the IGCH quotes hoards from Nova Maxala (IGCH 977), Karavelovo (IGCH 978) and Korten (IGCH 979) (8). I. Mirnik has recently published a small hoard coming most probably from Bulgaria (see catalogue, n°ll). A new hoard was found in Malak Chardak, in the district of Plovdiv, which contains about 600 coins, i.e. 598 Roman denarii for only 1 Athenian tetradrachm (Eni- rE N H/3X2ZA N APOS/ KALL 1K PA) and 1 late imitation of Thasos (R. Gobl, Class V) (9). For this period (c. 60-30 BC) and this kind of evidence (Roman denarii and late Thasian imitations), Romania offers a greater number of hoards (10). On the specific issues of the Boljarino hoard, we can make the following comments: Athens All 3 tetradrachms belong to the same issue (ETTirENH- ZQ5ANAP02 - c. 126/5 B.C.). It is no surprise if this issue is one of the four which are systematically over-represented in Macedonian of Thracian hoards ("). This piece of evidence confirms the case. Maybe it is worthwhile to note, although this point is doubtful, that the 3 coins were struck during the third and the fourth months of the Athenian calendar (r and A), thus is a very short period of time. There is, at least, one other Athenian tetradrachm in this hoard. The nr 15 of the catalogue, a late Thasian imitation (R. Gobl, Class IV), is indeed clearly overstruck over Athens. On the reverse, we can see different letters as well as some parts of the owl (the dot for the left eye). There is enough, in fact, to identify the precise issue (8) M. Thompson, O. Morkholm and C. M. Kraay, op. til., 1973. (9) This hoard, still unpublished, is kept in the Archaeological Museum of Plovdiv (nrs 5769-5770). (10) See, for example, Gh. Poena.ru Bordea and M. Cojocarescu, Contributi la circulaiia monetara din central Transilvaniei In secolul I Le.n.: iezaurul monelar descoperit la Icland (com. Ernei, jud. Mures), in SCN, 8, 1984, p. 53-75 (with 33 denarii and 2 late Thasian imitations) or the maps published by C. Preda, Einige Betrachtungen fiber den Munzumlauf im 1. J. o. Chr. in Dakien, in Proceedings of the Xlth International Numismatic Congress, I, Louvain-Ia-Neuve, 1993, p. 133-137. (11) F. de Callatay, Athenian New Style Tetradrachms in Macedonian Hoards, in AJN, 3-4, 1991-1992, p. 11-20. the bolja.rino hoard 11 involved: MiKlflN-EYPYKLE (156/5 BC [M. Thompson] = c. 124/3 BC) (12). The underlined letters are still visible: A ©§ MIK IQN EYP YKAE BOY KAT JH5 Once again, this issue MIK1QN-EYPYKAE is one of the few overre- presented in Thracian hoards. Mesembria This late Alexander of Mesembria (issue MA-Ko) is dated shortly before 150 BC by both I. Karayotov (1994, p. 125) and F. de Calla- tay (1994, p. 306). This dating is mainly founded on the presence of one Mesembrian Alexander with MA in the Babylon Hoard (IGCH 1774), now kept in Berlin Munzkabinett. Due to the Seleu- cid tetradrachms and other well-dated coinages, this hoard can safely be dated from c. 155-150 BC. Had this piece of evidence not existed, a later date, closer to 120 BC, would have appeared as very suitable. Maroneia F. de Callatay has shown that the chronology proposed by E. Schonert-Geiss for Maroneia was very erroneous (13). Since the Maroneian tetradrachm attested in the Boljarino hoard is classified after the overstrike over a tetradrachm of Mithridates VI struck most probably in 85 BC, one is led to infer that the Boljarino hoard may hardly have been issued before the beginning of the 70s BC. (12) M. Thompson, 1961, p. 187-193. The obverse dies nrs 479-482 are linked with BOYKATTH2 (see pi. 48). The overstrike was most probably struck with the reverse nr 482a. (13) F. de Callatay, Un letradrachme de Mithridate surfrappe a Maronee, in Numismatica e antichita classiche, XX, 1991, p. 213-226. 12 f. de callatay - i. prokopov Thasos (early imitations) I. Prokopov, who is preparing a major work about this coinage, dates the 3 tetradrachms 90-70 BC. They belong to his varieties GG (nr 6), HH (nr 7) and CA (nr 8). Thasos (late imitations) The late Thasian imitations are not so well-classified. It is hoped that further research will improve our knowledge in this area (14). As may be seen, nr 15 is overstruck over Athens. A closer examina- tion of the material indicates that other coins were probably over- struck too (nrs 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 21). Nr 19 is in the same case. It was struck on an insufficiently heated coin and this is why it is cracked and even broken. Roman denarii Roman denarii attested in the Boljarino hoard were struck from c. 91 BC to c. 48 BC. Some of them, as nrs 25 (c. 87 BC) and 27 (c. 75 BC), are conspicuously worn out. Even the latest issue (nr 30: Crawford 450/3b = ALBINVS BRVTI F.) shows some traces of wear. This last fact, combined with the presence of many late Thasian imitations, prompts us to date the burying of the Boljarino hoard c. 40/30 BC. (14) Except the quoted book of R. Gobl, the classical tools of reference are Grof Dessewffy Miklos, Barbar Penzei, Budapest, 1910; R. Forrer, Keltische Numismatik der Rhein- und Donaulande, rev. ed. by K. Castelin, Graz, 1968-1969 and K. Castelin, Keltische Munzen. Katalog der Sammlung des Schweizcrischen Landesmuseum Zurich, Zurich, 1981. Revue beige de NumismaUque, 1995 The Bol.jarino Hoard Revue beige de Numismatique, 1995 PL II Thf. Roljarino Hoard Revue beige de Numismatique, 1995 PI. Ill The Boljaiuno Hoard